Take funny music seriously! Though often dismissed as silly or derivative, funny music, Lily E. Hirsch argues, is incredibly creative and dynamic, serving multiple aims from the celebratory to the rebellious, the entertaining to the mentally uplifting.

Music can be a rich site for humor, with so many opportunities that are ripe for a comedic left turn. Taking Funny Music Seriously includes original interviews with some of the best musical humorists, such as Tom Lehrer, "the J. D. Salinger of musical satire"; Peter Schickele, who performed as the invented composer P. D. Q. Bach, the supposed lost son of the great J. S. Bach; Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome of the funny music duo Garfunkel and Oates; comedic film composer Theodore Shapiro; Too Slim of the country group Riders in the Sky; and musical comedian Jessica McKenna, from the podcast Off Book, part of a long line of "funny girls." With their help, Taking Funny Music Seriously examines comedy from a variety of genres and musical contexts-from bad singing to rap, classical music to country, Broadway music to film music, and even love songs and songs about death.

In its coverage of comedic musical media, Taking Funny Music Seriously is an accessible and lively look at funny music. It offers us a chance to appreciate more fully the joke in music and the benefits of getting that joke-especially in times of crisis-including comfort, catharsis, and connection.

About the Author

Lily E. Hirsch is a musicologist and author most recently of Can't Stop the Grrrls: Confronting Sexist Labels in Music from Ariana Grande to Yoko Ono; Weird Al: Seriously; and Insulting Music: A Lexicon of Insult in Music.

Reviews

"Kudos to Lily Hirsch for writing this glorious book celebrating my friends, my heroes, and a subject matter which (for fairly obvious reasons) is near and dear to my heart. Meticulously researched and crafted with love, Taking Funny Music Seriously finds meaning, purpose, and joy in an art form which many of the world's "serious" critics are all too eager to dismiss."-"Weird Al" Yankovic

"A really interesting deep dive into an aspect of comedy history I knew very little about. A must for any comedic geek!"-Mike Sacks, author of And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers

"Lily Hirsch, an actual musicologist, has written a new book that wonderfully illuminates the nexus of humor and music. Garfunkel and Oates, Lonely Island, Randy Newman, Frank Zappa, Sylvia Fine, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Tom Lehrer, Monty Python, and "Darlene Edwards" are just some of the many music/comedy artists celebrated. It's fascinating, fun, and deeply researched. I sure learned a lot. Read it and then listen to some comedy songs."-Wayne Federman, Comedian and author of The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle

"For too long, any remotely humorous or comic music has been cast out or ignored by historians and scholars as not worthy of-yes-serious attention. Lily Hirsch has deftly woven together a broad and fascinating overview of the countless ways humor enters into the music we listen to, showing that it can take the gaze of critics and stand the test of time."-Daniel Goldmark, author of Funny Pictures: Animation and Comedy in Studio-Era Hollywood

Book Information
ISBN 9780253069955
Author Lily E. Hirsch
Format Paperback
Page Count 268
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press
Weight(grams) 399g